Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office
Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
Media and Communications Office
Press Release: Messages from HRH The Prince of
Wales, the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury received as religious
freedom is highlighted in annual Coptic New Year (Nayrouz) Service at
Westminster Abbey
24
October 2016
Messages were received from HRH The Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister
and the Archbishop of Canterbury as religious freedom was highlighted at the
annual Coptic New Year (Nayrouz) Service at St Margaret’s, Westminster Abbey. Addresses were also delivered by HE Ambassador David Saperstein, The
Lord Alton of Liverpool, HE Ambassador Nasser Kamel and The Lord Bourne of
Aberystwyth. [Read
full report including quotes and photographs here]
Joining members of the Coptic community at
the service were members of the House of Lords, House of Commons, the
Diplomatic Corps, the Foreign Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, humanitarian
and advocacy organisations, and various ecumenical, inter-religious guests. The
service commenced with a welcome by the Reverend Canon Jane Sinclair, Canon of
Westminster & Rector of St Margaret’s.
In his sermon, His Grace Bishop Angaelos,
General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said:
“It has undoubtedly been a challenging year with the referendum, news of
wars, oppression, homelessness, displacement, and presidential elections; there
is so much to destabilise us, but what is our core? Our core is our Faith; the
Good News.”
“How can I stay silent in seeing the oppression of others when I have
tasted that bitterness and seen that affliction and persecution. We have all
suffered in our own ways and so therefore we are all mandated to speak out for
others in our own ways.”
“Today as we start this year, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon us’; we
are anointed, mandated and sent into this world as hope, light and promise. It
is God in us Who enables us to do this, and so today we really do stand
together in this sacred place, with the saints, in unity of heart. Let nothing
take that away from us, and let nothing defeat that spirit that allows us to
defeat all that seeks to silence us.”
Following prayers
for the persecuted and martyrs of the Christian Faith, a message from His Royal
Highness The Prince of Wales was read by The Right Reverend Geoffrey Rowell and
Mr Jonathan Hellewell LVO, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister read a message
from The Right Honourable Theresa May, Prime Minister.
In a message addressed to
Bishop Angaelos from The Most Rev. and the Rt Hon. the Archbishop of
Canterbury, read by The Right Reverend Nigel Stock, Bishop at
Lambeth, he said:
“Your community is a suffering community. Who can forget those young men
so brutally murdered in Libya, or what your Church must endure from time to
time in your homeland. Yet you speak of the forgiveness of Christ and look
always for that which helps the peace of God be known.”
Prior
to the service, the Foreign Commonwealth Office hosted a ground-breaking 2-day
summit from 19-20 October which brought together more than 50 expert speakers,
including His Grace Bishop Angaelos, and over 170 participants from 38
countries, to explore how Freedom of Religion or Belief can help prevent
violent extremism and identify opportunities to work together. Over 100 of
those participants joined the Coptic community at the annual Nayrouz service in
St Margaret’s, Westminster Abbey on 20 October 2016.
*Ends*